Ventilator for refrigerator-cars.



No. 643,328. Patented Feb. I3, 1900. T. B. KIRBY & J. E. NOBLING.

VENTILATOR FUR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

(Application filed June 28. 1897.)

(No Model.)

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No. 643,328. Patented Feb. 13, I900. T. B. KIRBY &. J. E. NURLING. VENTILATUR FUR REFRIGERATOR CARS (Application filed June 28, 1897.)

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No. 643,328. Pa tented Feb. I3, 1900.

T. B. KIRBY & J. E. NURLING. VENTILATOR FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

(Application filed June 28, 1897.)

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llhvrTnn STATES PATENT omen,

THOMAS B. KIRBY AND JACOB E. NORLING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ASSIGNORS TO ARMOUR & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

VENTILATOR FOR REFRIGERATOR-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,328, dated February 13, 1900.

, Application filed June 28, 1.897. SerialNo. 642,668. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS B. KIRBY and J AOOB E. NORLING, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilators for Refrigerator-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Refrigerator-cars are frequently used for the transportation of perishable goods under changing conditions of temperature, either due to differences of the seasons or times of the year at which they are used, or due to climatic changes arising from the length of the run or to the differences in altitude and these changes of temperature involve the necessity of some provision whereby the car may not only be at times entirely closed for use either as a refrigerating structure by means of ice in the usual manner or as a frostproof car to prevent freezing of its contents, but also at other times opened for purposes of ventilation to prevent heating and decay.

It is the object of our present invention to provide for these varying conditions and requirements, and more particularly to provide a construction whereby the ventilation of the car may be amplified, regulated, and controlled; and to these ends our invention consists in certain novel features, which will be hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a refrigcrater-car having our invention applied thereto, the ventilator being shown closed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the door or cover being thrownentirely back to give free access to the interior of the ice-tank; Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing parts in position for use as a ventilator. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the structure as shown in Fig. 3.- Fig. 5 is a plan view of the car. In the drawings let A represent the carroof of a refrigerator-car, and A, A A and A the ice-holes therein. As shown in Fig. 5, there are usually four of these holes in the car-roof, located two at each end thereof. Each of these ice-holes may be provided with a suitable closure at of a kind well-known in refrigerator-cars. Above each ice-hole there is located a door or cover B, hinged to the car-roof A at its edge farthest from the end of the car-body, so as to fold back longitudinally on the car-roof. In its lowered or closed position this door or coverisinclined upward and outward toward the adjacent end of the car and rests or is supported on a boxing or casing B, having correspondingly-inclined side pieces I), secured to and rising from the car-roof A. The boxing or casing B has an open or reticulated front, and in the construction shown, which is the one we prefer, b indicates a suitable screen or netting extending across the space between the ends of the side pieces I) and the roof and secured thereto and serving to cover and protect the mouth of the ventilator within the range of adjustment of this latter.

0 indicates a movable frame intermediate between the boxing or casing B and the door or cover B and comprising side pieces 0 and an end screen 0. This frame is hinged to the boxing or casing 13 or to the car-body at a point adjacent to the hinge of the cover B and telescopes with said boxing or casing, fitting, preferably, over the outside .of the same. Pins 1) on the casing pass through slots 0 in the side pieces c of the frame 0 and serve to guide and limit the movement of this latter. The slots may of course be formed in the casing B and the pins be located on the sides 0 of the frame 0.

The cover B is adjustable to regulate the ventilating opening and thus control the amount of air entering or leaving the car. The limits of its positions for this purpose are shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the cover may be secured in these or any intermediate position by suitable adjusting devices. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 we have shown a construction for this purpose, comprising-apertured plates or projections D, extending upward from the roof on each side of the cover, this latter having cooperating downward plates or projections D, similarly apertured, anda suitable shackle d, which may be passed through the registering apertures of the parts D D to secure the cover B in any desired position. The shackle cl may be secured to lock the cover in position by means of a seal d of any suitable construction, and it is obvious that a similarly-sealed pin or a padlock may be employed for this purpose instead of the shackle shown.

E indicates a flap or plate which serves as a closure for the mouth of the ventilator, said plate being hinged to the free edge of the cover B and adapted when swung down in a vertical position to close the ventilatormouth, as shown in Fig. 1, being adapted to be secured and locked in this position by means of a suitable aperture e in the plate, a staple e on the casing B, and a scalable shackle e or other device for the purpose. In this position it will be seen that 'said plate E not only forms, in conjunction with the cover B, a complete closure for the roof-aperture,

but it also serves to protect the screens or netting O G from injury. The plate E may also be swung back onto the door or cover in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said door or cover being provided with a staple If, by means of which the plate may be secured and locked in this position while ventilation is going on.

The frame C is provided with suitable means whereby it may be detachably suspended from the cover 13, and the construction we prefer for this purpose is that shown, in which the frame 0 is provided with a projecting lug F, preferably pivoted thereto and adapted to extend upward through apertures in the cover B and flap or plate E, its upwardly-projecting portion having an aperture f to receive a catch or hook F 011 the plate E, which serves to connect the frame 0 with the cover B.

The construction having been described the operation is as follows: The car may of course be used as a refrigerator-car in the usual manner. When used as a ventilated car, the clo sures a are removed from the ice-holes A and the covers B adjusted so as to admit the desired amount of air to give the proper ventilating. It will be understood, of course, that when the car is in motion the air enters through the two ventilators and ice-holes at the front end of the car and passing through the body passes out at the ventilators at the rear end of the car. The admission of the air to the car is controlled and regulated chiefly by the adjustment of the covers B and frame 0 at the front end of the car, by means of which adjustment the dimensions of the months or inlet-openings of the ventilators may be controlled in an obvious manner. The screens 1) c serve to protect these openings and prevent the admission of cinders or any other detrimental matters, and this too without interfering with the adjustment of the covers. The cooperating side pieces '1) and c serve to inclose the sides of the ventilators and guide the air into the interior of the car. The covers may be locked at any desired point of their adjustment to prevent unauthorized access to the car or tampering with or changing the adjustment of the ventilators. In addition to the control over the ventilation' thus obtained by the adjustment of the inlet-ventilators we are enabled by the adjustability of the outlet and inlet ventilators conjointly to further and better control the ventilation, for since these ventilators are at opposite ends of the car and independently adjustable the outlet-ventilators may be so adjusted relatively to the inlet-ventilators as to provide a restricted outlet for the air, which latter is thus forced into and compelled to more fully permeate and ventilate the carbody instead of passing by the shortest route through this latter, as it tends to do unless the outlet is restricted, and it will be seen that the relatively independent adjustment of the outlet and inlet ventilators permits the regulation of this matter with great nicety.

As we have shown in the drawings, the carroof is cut away or recessed in front of the ice-holes,and the reticulated front of the boxing or casing 13' and the hinged flap E extend downwardly into said recessed portion of the roof. The purpose of this construction is to enable an available air-opening of large area withoutundulyprojecting the structureabove the roof of the car. These refrigerator-cars are frequently provided with a double roof having an air-space between the roof courses, and the recessing or cutting away of the roof in the construction shown is coincident in depth with this air-space. By this means the roof is not weakened, and while a low ventilator is secured which will enable the car to pass safely through tunnels the lower edge of the air-opening ext-ends below the mouth or horizontal plane of the ice-hole opening, and therefore the air-current is delivered into the car in closer proximity to the refrigerating or storage space. Furthermore, the recessing of the car-roof enables a stronger structure to be made, as the ventilator is thereby anchored between the vertical abut m cuts or walls,and the permanent screen-section is also fully protected thereby.

We claim- 1. In a ventilator for refrigerator-cars, a car-roof having an opening, a door or cover hinged to the roof adjacent to said opening, a fixed or stationary casing or boxing surrounding said opening and projecting above the roof of the car, the sides of said casing being rearwardly inclined and the front portion thereof reticulated and adapted to form with said door or cover, a ventilator having closed sides and top and an open front, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerator-oar, a car-roof having an opening therein and with a stationary boxing or casing surrounding said opening and projecting above the car-roof, the front of said casing or boxing being reticulated, and a dooror cover hinged at one edge of the opening and provided with a flap or plate hinged to its free margin, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a ventilator for refrigerator-cars, a car-roof having an opening, a stationary b0xing or casing surrounding said opening and screen front, a door or cover hinged at the edge of said opening and an intermediate movable or adjustable frame having closed sides and a screen front and means for detachably suspending said frame from the lid or cover, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a refrigerator-car having a roof-opening, of a stationary boxing or casing around said opening and having rearWardly-inolined closed sides projecting above the oar-roof, a door or cover hinged at one edge of the opening, an intermediate adj ustable frame adapted to telescopewith said stationary boxing or casing and means for supporting the door or cover and said intermediate frame at various angular positions with reference to the roof, substantially as described.

6. In a refrigerator-car having an opening in the roof thereof, the combination with a stationary boxing or casing surrounding said opening and having an open front, a door or cover hinged at one edge of said opening and overlapping perforated plates or projections on the roof and on the hinged door respectively, and affording locking-apertures for the door when placed in various angular positions, substantially as described.

7. A refrigerator-car having an ice-hole therein, the car-roof being recessed or cut away in front of the ice-hole, of a Ventilator having a screen-section and a hinged 'fiap or cover adapted to project downwardly into said recessed portion, substantially as described.

THOMAS B. KIRBY. JACOB E. NORLING. Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GooDWIN, IRVINE MILLER. 

